1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for applying adhesive in the form of adhesive spots to a substrate using applicator nozzles, having a metering apparatus and a distribution apparatus, arranged downstream of the metering apparatus, for conveying and distributing a predeterminable volume of adhesive to each applicator nozzle, and a warming apparatus for heating a warming medium for heating the adhesive, wherein the metering apparatus and the distribution apparatus are connected with each other by a conveying line containing an adhesive conduit, and wherein feed lines containing an adhesive conduit lead from the distribution apparatus to the applicator nozzles.
2. Description of Prior Art
Such devices for the application of a multitude of adhesive spots are used, for example, in automobile manufacturing for connection of several sheet metal elements of an automobile body. The adhesives employed customarily have a manipulating temperature higher than room temperature, so that it is necessary to warm the adhesive conveyed by the device and all elements of the device contacting the adhesive to the desired manipulating temperature of the adhesive by a warming apparatus, for example usually to heat it.
It is thus known to house the applicator nozzles and the distribution apparatus for distributing the conveyed adhesive to the applicator nozzles in a tub-like housing filled with a warming medium, and to warm the warming medium to the desired manipulating temperature. It is disadvantageous in connection with this known device, that the tub-shaped housing, when filled with the warming medium, can reach a considerable weight, which makes undesirably high demands on the structure of the known device and makes handling unnecessarily more difficult. Moreover, subsequent changes in the number of applicator nozzles, or respectively their arrangement, are very difficult to make, and it also requires considerable efforts to clean, or respectively exchange individual applicator nozzles in case they possibly become plugged.